Corporation for National and Community Service - New York Careshttp://www.nationalservice.gov/tags-tags/new-york-cares
enAmeriCorps Week Concludes with Day of Service in Rockawayshttp://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/americorps-week-concludes-day-service-rockaways
<div class="field field-name-field-date-release field-type-datetime field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-03-16T00:00:00-04:00">Mar 16, 2013</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p align="center"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Several hundred volunteers work at variety of projects in the area, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">highlighting Hurricane Sandy disaster response</span></p><p align="center"> </p><p>Washington, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will conclude “AmeriCorps Week” with a day of service in Rockaway, NY. This event will not only honor the effort of relief workers so far, but will highlight the work that still needs to be done.</p><p>Alongside more than 200 AmeriCorps members, CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer and Director of AmeriCorps Bill Basl will join local representatives and volunteers to clean up a damaged beach, repair a daycare center, and help area residents get back on their feet. These efforts build on AmeriCorps’ long-standing commitment to helping communities use service to spark local solutions to local challenges. The service projects were made possible by Time-Warner’s contribution to the AmeriCorps recovery efforts.</p><p>Other attendees include Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares; Diahann Billings-Burford, Chief Service Officer for the City of New York; and Susan Stern, Chair of NY Volunteers at the New York State Commission on National and Community Service.</p><p>“National service bolsters disaster relief efforts,” said Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “It brings together businesses, nonprofits and community groups, federal agencies, state and local government, and everyday citizens to help communities that need it most. AmeriCorps members have been at the forefront of the Hurricane Sandy recovery, and are helping people respond, rebuild, and recover every day.”</p><p>More than 2,400 AmeriCorps members have been part of the federal response to Hurricane Sandy, including the first class of AmeriCorps NCCC members serving with FEMA Corps. In New York alone, AmeriCorps members have:</p><ul><li>Mucked and gutted 1,270 homes,</li><li>Mobilized 16,000 volunteers for 128,000 hours of service (valued at $2.68 million), and</li><li>Touched the lives of nearly 30,000 New York residents.</li></ul><p>“I want to thank all the AmeriCorps members who traveled across the country to help New York families rebuild in the aftermath of the storm,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “AmeriCorps has helped so many young people in our communities create a path to a better future. Together, we will continue to work to meet New York’s needs to recover and rebuild.”</p><p>Under the director of CNCS’s Disaster Services Unit, the AmeriCorps response to Hurricane Sandy has involved programs from many states across the country. Participating programs include American Youth Works, Iowa Commission on National Service, Minnesota/Iowa Conservation Corps, Montana Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, St. Bernard Project, St. Louis Safety Corps, TCCC Hoopa, The Corps Network, Utah Conservation Corps, Washington Conservation Corps, and YouthBuild. In addition, AmeriCorps NCCC, including its first-ever FEMA Corps units, placed hundreds of members on the ground in affected areas.</p><p>“Hurricane Sandy had a far reaching and devastating impact on many communities throughout our city,” said Diahann Billings-Burford, Chief Service Officer for the City of New York. “Thanks to the support and service of community volunteers and partners such as the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps, our city continues to recover. The invaluable partnership of community and non-profit organizations with city government dramatically improved our ability to meet the diverse needs of our residents and help our city come back stronger than ever.”</p><p>The project will wrap up AmeriCorps Week 2013, which was marked by service projects, forums, presentations, and recognition ceremonies across the country. The theme, “AmeriCorps Works,” focuses on three groups that benefit from the program: the recipients of service, the people who serve, and the larger community and nation.</p><p>“AmeriCorps members have provided invaluable support to citizens and communities affected by Hurricane Sandy and other disasters,” said Basl, Director of AmeriCorps. “They’ve made substantial progress in New York and other affected areas, and there’s more work to be done. Americans know they can count on national service members before, during, and after a disaster.”</p><br class="innova" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-footer-field field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p align="center"><span style="font-style: italic;">###</span></p><p> </p><p>The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.nationalservice.gov/">NationalService.gov</a></p><p> </p></div></div></div>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000Editor10129 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/americorps-week-concludes-day-service-rockaways#commentsMake Service Your Valentine’s Gifthttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-02-13/make-service-your-valentine%E2%80%99s-gift
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-terms field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">United We Serve</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">By:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Greg Tucker</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>So, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and florists will be scrambling to fill orders and chocolate consumption is expected to rise by maybe a jillion percent. Suppose we take this day dedicated to love and use it to show that we have big hearts by serving or giving to others?</p><p><a href="http://photos.nationalservice.gov/Servegov/As-Seen-onServegov/11021047_TH7QMx#!i=2363995361&amp;k=sJgRtWp&amp;lb=1&amp;s=A" title="Service is a great way to show your love on Valentine's Day."><img align="right" alt="Service is a great way to show your love on Valentine's Day." border="0" height="215" src="http://photos.nationalservice.gov/Servegov/As-Seen-onServegov/i-sJgRtWp/0/S/Valentines_Senior-Small-S.jpg" style="MARGIN-TOP: 6px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6px; MARGIN-LEFT: 6px" width="300" /></a></p><p>Take a moment to look over some ideas for a more giving Valentine's Day that can create memories that last long after that flower arrangement has wilted.</p><p><b>Let's Get It Started:</b> You may be anxious about jumping in if you're new to volunteering. Some groups are holding orientation sessions to discuss the many ways you can get involved with service. You can follow a long lunch with an <a href="http://www.newyorkcares.org/volunteer/volunteer_opportunities/orientation_info_feed.php?OID=70140000000fV0tAAE">orientation session with New York Cares</a> or learn more about opportunities before dinner at a <a href="http://www.jerseycares.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?id=a0CA000000MGxFsMAL">Jersey Cares Orientation in Newark</a>. These are two of the organizations working alongside <a href="/">national service members</a> to help area residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.</p><p><b>If I Had a Hammer:</b> It takes a lot of coordination to do the work Habitat for Humanity does to create-low-cost housing opportunities. <a href="http://habitatgsf.volunteerhub.com/Events/Event/Summary.aspx?EventID=1267207">Habitat Greater San Francisco</a> is hosting an all-day warehouse prep session tomorrow to help them continue their work in the area, you can learn more about the project by visiting their site.</p><p><b>Make a Stand:</b> Volunteering together doesn't take a lot of effort; you just need to make time to help. The group <a href="http://onebillionrising.org/page/event/search_simple">1 Billion Rising</a> will hold events tomorrow across the country tomorrow to end violence against women, and <a href="http://www.handsonatlanta.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?id=a0CA000000NAlojMAD">the Atlanta event is looking for volunteer support</a>.</p><p><b>Give to a Good Cause:</b> There are thousands of aid and advocacy groups working to solve problems across the country. Whether the issue is feeding the hungry, educating needy students, eradicating a disease that has affected someone in your life, or something else, Valentine's Day would be a great day to help the cause with a donation.</p><p><b>We'll Take an IOU: </b>If you're busy tomorrow, we're sure that your help would be welcomed later by any of these organizations, and you can use <a href="http://www.serve.gov/index.asp">our search engine find volunteer opportunities all year long</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags-tax field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags-tags/habitat-humanity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Habitat for Humanity</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags-tags/jersey-cares" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Jersey Cares</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/38" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Service</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags-tags/new-york-cares" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">New York Cares</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/52" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">United We Serve</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/54" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Volunteering</a></div></div></div>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000Editor3218 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-02-13/make-service-your-valentine%E2%80%99s-gift#comments